| Microsoft unleashes new embedded OS |
Oct. 15, 2008
 Microsoft says it has released its new embedded operating system for x86-based devices to product manufacturers. Windows Embedded Standard 2009 combines Windows XP codebase updates with new versions of Internet Explorer, RDP (remote desktop protocol), Windows Media Player, and .NET, according to the company.
The Redmond giant announced earlier this year that it would simplify the names of its embedded operating systems and give them year-based versioning. For example, Windows Embedded CE, which runs not only on x86 but also on ARM, MIPS, and SuperH processors, will be renamed "Windows Embedded Compact" upon its next major release.
The Windows Embedded Standard installer
(Click to enlarge)
Per today's announcement, Microsoft's premier, x86-based embedded operating system -- used on hundreds of mobile devices, thin clients, A/V products, and other smart devices -- becomes Windows Embedded Standard (WES) 2009. The word "new" is somewhat misleading when applied to this product, in that the operating system is still based on the Windows XP codebase, not Windows Vista or its recently named successor, Windows 7. A "componentized" version of these newer OSes -- required to enable embedded developers to whittle down storage, memory, and CPU requirements, while tightening security and reliability -- will not be released for several years, company officials have previously stated.
More than just a new name
However, WES 2009 represents more than just a new name for the outgoing Windows XP Embedded (XPe). For starters, WES provides customers with Service Pack 3 (SP3), a collection of updates that were previously released for standard desktop editions of Windows XP. SP3 includes new "black hole" router detection, easier-to-use security, and a new cryptographic module, according to Microsoft. (For more details of SP3, see our earlier coverage, here.)
As part of the SP3 revisions, WES 2009 gains Network Access Protection (NAP), a network policy enforcement platform that was previously included in both Vista and Windows Server 2008. NAP allows creating "customized health policies" to validate computer functions before allowing network access, and optionally confining non-compliant computers to a restricted network until they become compliant, according to the company.
WES 2009 also includes the following additional features, according to Microsoft:In addition, WES 2009 includes "componentized" drivers for Intel's latest x86 processor architectures, such as the Centrino Atom. Though the operating system might not be based on Windows Vista code, it will not fall behind when it comes to providing access to new technologies, promised Olivier Bloch, Windows Embedded evangelist for Microsoft. "Peripheral manufacturers are still very busy developing support for Windows XP, and will be for some time," he told WindowsForDevices earlier this year.
Tried and tested
Based on proven, flexible Windows XP code, WES 2009 has also apparently survived exhaustive testing by device manufacturers, software developers, and other beta-testers for more than five months. Microsoft released a CTP (community technology preview) version of WES 2009, in the form of a downloadable .ISO DVD image, in early June.
An August update to the WES 2009 CTP was said to add an "improved setup experience and migration support from XPe," additional device drivers, and a "Client Prereq Macro" for the System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Meanwhile, Microsoft launched a "bug challenge" for WES, offering prizes to testers who provided the "most unique, useful" feedback about the following twelve aspects of the new OS:Further information
Windows Embedded Standard 2009 costs device manufacturers $995 for the required development tools, plus a $90 license for each shipping device based on it. Developers who purchased XPe from June 2008 onwards will be eligible for a free upgrade, Microsoft adds.
The company provided no forecasts regarding how soon WES 2009 will ship on completed devices. Based on the amount of time developers have had to become familiar with the operating system, however, we'd expect the OS to become available to end users in weeks, rather than months.
Meanwhile, according to Redmond, a downloadable trial version will soon be available from the company's website, here.
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